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Nick Summers
Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and video games in particular. You can reach him on Twitter, circle him on Google+ and connect with him on LinkedIn.
MTV has partnered with mobile handset maker Swipe Telecom to release its first co-branded smartphone called the MTV Volt in India.
As spotted by Next Big What, the 6-inch device runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1 and has both a front and rear-facing camera at 1.3 and 8 megapixels respectively. Along with Wi-Fi connectivity, an FM radio player and GPS functionality, the so-called ‘Fablet’ – short for fabulous tablet – also has a built-in TV player for watching MTV on the go.
The exclusively white device weighs 239 grams, which is considerably lighter than the 7-inch Nexus 7 at 340 grams, but runs on a slightly underwhelming 1GHz dual-core processor based on ARM Cortex chips. Reports say it has a HD display, with Tech2 suggesting it has five-point multi-touch and a pixel resolution of 864×480.
The MTV Volt will set you back Rs 12,999 (US $241), which is higher than the 16GB Nexus 7 at $199 but slightly less than the more spacious 32GB version at $249 in the US Google Play store.
The six-inch form factor is an unusual choice, as it sits somewhere above the Samsung Galaxy Note II’s 5.5-inch screen but below most of the smaller tablets like the iPad mini and Nexus 7.
MTV, the youth brand of Viacom18, plans to develop a number of MTV smartphones and tablets designed for young and aspiring adults. At least one new product will be launched every quarter as a result of the deal, totalling between 10 and 12 devices over a two-year licensing period with Swipe Telecom.
The MTV Volt will be available in 10,000 retail stores across India, as well as Swipe’s e-store and a number of online portals including Flipkart, Snapdeal, Infinibeam and eBay. There’s no word yet on whether the device will eventually be released in other countries.
Image Credit: fonearena